London Fashion Week AW17: Highlights of Day 1 and 2

Donatella Versace and Simone Rocha played to their strengths, while Jonathan Anderson delivered brilliance once more

Inspired by the work of Austrian-Czech architect, Adolf Loos, minimalism and modern were the main touch points for Eudon Choi’s Autumn/Winter 2017 collection. With little to no decoration, Choi focused on volume and structure, letting the fabrics speak for themselves. With his in-depth knowledge of tailoring, Choi’s tailoring techniques are translated seamlessly into womenswear. Looks included crisp white shirts, oversized blazers and floor-grazing wool trousers. It was not all masculine-a soft touch of femininity was also added to the collection such as satin blouses and frocks as well as cotton dresses that draped effortlessly.

Jonathan Anderson certainly knows how to create beauty from cacophony. The young designer once again delivered an "überfeminine" collection that had multiple (if not excessive) elements and silhoeuttes meshed in 34 looks, so much so that you had to pore carefully over each ensemble lest you miss out on pertinent details. A floral-chainmail dress was decorated with a lavish ostrich-feather hem, while jersey was used generously to drape over forms in a flattering manner. Hemlines were kept asymmetrical and outerwear pieces were presented in leather and decadent fur—altogether a collection posing as a subtle reminder that Anderson's momentum isn't slowing down anytime soon.

Simone Rocha's AW17 collection could easily be summed up as "outerwear options for every power woman of every age group"—the former noticeable via a strong lineup of military-inspired, voluminous velvet coats, the latter evident with the casting of models. 73-year old model Bernadetta Barzino walked in a black floral piece, while the rest of the lineup boasted outstanding models from the heyday including Marie-Sophie Wilson-Carr, Audrey Marnay, Jaimie Bochert, and Cecilia Chancellor. The collection transitioned from edgy to delicate with a smattering of vivid florals in yellow and red, showing us that strong women can, too, channel their strength through femininity.

If the target age group of Versus Versace's latest collection happen to be millenials with a street/sportswear-inspired aesthetic and plenty of dough to splash, Donatella Versace pretty much hit the bull's-eye this season. Miniskirts and leg-baring dresses reigned, alongside midriff-baring looks in Neoprene and denim. The initial black and burgundy looks made a solid range, but neon pops of colour (aqua and pink) were introduced in the form of furry sweaters and puffy jackets.